A Thought-Provoking Storyteller

Vickie Ramirez (Courtesy of Vickie Ramirez.)

Vickie Ramirez
(Courtesy of Vickie Ramirez.)

What if you’d taken an oath–and then discovered that honoring your word meant devastating the people closest to you?

That’s the dilemma in which Vickie Ramirez places her protagonist, in her new play, Stand-Off At Highway #37, which has its world premiere at Native Voices at the Autry this Friday, February 28th.

Vickie, who is an award-winning Tuscarora playwright, has created both movie and theatre scripts for production.  Her plays have been performed in venues including the Santa Fe Theater Festival and New York’s Roundabout Theatre’s Different Voices Program.   A winner of the 2010 NYSCA Individual Artist Award, Vickie developed Stand-Off At Highway #37 from a one-act play in 2011 to the current production in rehearsals at Native Voices.

Vickie talked about her background, her experiences as a playwright and how she came to create her latest play, Stand-Off At Highway #37.

Stand-Off At Highway #37 has its world premiere this Friday evening, February 28th, at 8 pm at Native Voices at the Autry, 4700 Western Heritage Way in Los Angeles.     Previews take place this Wednesday and Thursday evening, February 26th and 27th, at 8 pm.  Native Voices at the Autry is the nation’s only Equity theatre company that’s devoted exclusively to developing and producing the work of Native American artists.

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Love and Trivia

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For many people, reading is a lifelong passion.

For author Dan McLaughlin, trivia adds to the fun–and the knowledge.

In addition to being a playwright and author, Dan has been the local history librarian at the Pasadena Public Library for over twenty years.  And this Saturday, February 22nd, he’ll be one of the local writers exhibiting and signing his books at the library’s free “Love Our Authors” meet-and-greet event.

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Eclectic Guitar

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Musician and songwriter Dave Osti grabs his guitar and travels.

And the places to which he transports you can be as different as rush hour in downtown Los Angeles, and a summer evening in a Wisconsin backyard.

Dave’s acoustic lyrics can be thoughtful, observant, and reflective of his background in folk music.   Then, he switches modes–to blaze into some bluesy rock with lots of twists, turns and improvisations you didn’t see coming.

Dave talked about his background and his new performance channel, “Live At the Dirtshack” and performed two of his songs.  He’s written more than a thousand!

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Dave Osti Interview, Part 2

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Honoring Heritage, Creating the Future

jonathan reed in studio1In just under two hours, Pasadena celebrates Black History Month with its thirty-second annual Black History Parade and Festival.

Jonathan Reed will be participating.  And when the celebration’s over, he’s going to continue working to change what he sees.

Jonathan, who is the Public Relations Commissioner for PCC’s Ujima Program, talked about  the issues facing black college students today, the additional special events Ujima will be sponsoring for Black History Month (everyone’s invited!), and the inspiration he draws from fellow African-American artists.

Pasadena’s thirty-second annual Black History Parade starts at 10 this morning at Charles White Park, in Altadena.  The parade heads south on Fair Oaks Avenue, and ends at Robinson Park.  Following the parade, the Black History Festival takes place, with music, exhibits and special childrens’ activities, in Robinson Park at Hammond from noon to 4 pm.

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Color, Warmth, and Sparkle

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Patchwork quilts already have some special connotations.

Frequently, they evoke memories of a family member who spent hours stitching–or friends who joined together to create a quilt as a special-occasion gift.   Their patterns can be beautiful–and often intricate.

The USC Pacific Asia Museum’s current exhibition, “Ralli Quilts: Contemporary Art from Pakistan” takes that tradition and craftsmanship to another level.

On display from now until March 2, the ralli quilts are undeniably beautiful.  Unlike their Western counterparts, though, many of them incorporate sequins, mirrors and elaborate embroidery–which add up to some striking designs.

USC Pacific Asia Museum Curator Bridget Bray offered a preview of this new exhibit.

The USC Pacific Asia Museum, at 46 North Los Robles in Pasadena, will be hosting its “Ralli Quilts: Contemporary Art From Pakistan” exhibit from now through Sunday, March 2nd.

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